Oscars Nominee Ad Campaigns: It’s a Dogfight to Be ‘The Important Movie’

If there’s one aspect of American life that does need a second act, it’s the Oscars campaign. Landing the nomination may be a long, grueling process that requires money, strategy and ingenuity, but most films can’t just coast to an Oscars win after the nomination.

For years, the Weinstein Company was the master of finding a new message that resonated in the final weeks of voting, including the line from “The King’s Speech” campaign, “find your voice.” But TWC doesn’t have a horse in this race, leaving the phase-two adjustments to Open Road, Fox and Paramount, among others.

This survey of the Oscars ad campaigns’ endgame sticks to the hugely competitive Best Picture category. It’s tempting to throw in Netflix’s over-the-top spending in the typically more subdued Best Documentary Feature category, including the ad-bedecked truck it hired to circle the recent WGA and DGA shows. But that’s just Netflix, which wants an Oscar very badly and has the money to pull out all the stops.

Here are four other films that want an Oscar badly — and who, for the most part, are making their plea for that Oscar by emphasizing how significant the films and their subjects are.

The movie: “Spotlight”
The message: “We’re the important movie.”
“Spotlight” came into the race backed by a small company, Open Road, which had never gone all the way with an Oscars campaign. But of the major contenders, it was the first to unveil its phase-two campaign. And considering that a key strategist on the film worked on Weinstein’s campaigns for many years, it’s no surprise that it played the “Importance” card, hardly a stretch for a film about clergy sexual abuse and cover-up in the Catholic Church, and the newspaper investigation that exposed it.

The home-stretch campaign has shifted the focus of attention from the real-life reporters played by the actors in the film (who were front-and-center during the pre-nominations campaigning) to the survivors of sexual abuse.

A recent billboard on the Sunset Strip, for instance, showed a scene from the film in which Rachel McAdams‘ character is interviewing a survivor with the caption, “THEIR COURAGE CHANGED THE WORLD” — they, in this case, clearly being the survivors who spoke out rather than the journalists who documented it.

With survivors attending Q&As and awards shows, where they receive onstage shout-outs, and with the film screening for a Vatican sex-abuse panel, this is a quintessential phase-two play. It also seems less forced than Weinstein trotting out Philomena Lee to “meet” the Pope last year, or positioning “Silver Linings Playbook” as a movie about mental health two years ago.

The campaign is based around a series of phrases that begin with the words ONE FILM: “One Film Breaks the Silence…One Film Moved Us With the Truth…One Film Forced Us to Question the Facts…One Film Inspired Us to Open Our Eyes” and, most central to the message, “One Film Is Making a Difference.”

The movie: “The Big Short”
The message: “No, we’re the important movie.”
When Paramount unveiled its endgame ad campaign for “The Big Short,” a company executive pointed out that the ads had been in the works for a long time — which is good, because there are substantial similarities between the “Spotlight” tag line “One Film Is Making a Difference” and the conclusion of the new “Big Short” TV ads: “Make a Difference. This Is the Year to Go Big.”

“The Big Short” campaign takes the same approach as the “Spotlight” campaign, and with a similar look and feel. While the Adam McKay film was initially sold for the highly entertaining way in which it made the financial crisis digestible and even humorous, it is now being pushed as the movie that stands up for the little guys who lost their homes and savings — and as the, shall we say, one film that fits a time of economic uncertainty.

The movie: “The Revenant”
The message: “You can take us seriously, too.”
The initial campaign for “The Revenant” was all about how hard it was for director Alejandro G. Inarritu and his cast and crew to make the movie in tough conditions, and about Leonardo DiCaprio, and about that bear attack.

Fox hasn’t turned its back on those aspects of the film, and it hasn’t dramatically changed the look of its “for your consideration” advertisements. But recent ads have been classier, with atmospheric stills from the film, subdued typography and no blaring headlines.

In addition, the ads feature quotes not from usual blurb-masters like Peter Travers and Pete Hammond, but from Christopher Orr of The Atlantic and David Thomson of Film Comment — a highbrow pair whose inclusion fairly screams, “Take us seriously.”

And when the always-scholarly Film Comment put “The Revenant” on its cover, Fox quickly created a special booklet that reprinted the cover, cover story interview and essay, inserting the mini-mag into a Hollywood trade magazine.

The movie: “Mad Max: Fury Road”
The message: “Don’t talk to us about tough movies, Alejandro.”
The Best Picture chances for George Miller‘s critically-acclaimed action movie have faded in recent weeks, but Miller himself is still considered a potential upset victor in the Best Director race. The focus of the campaign has shifted increasingly to the well-liked veteran director, and to the audacity and degree of difficulty of his vision.

One recent trade contained a 44-page “Mad Max” photo booklet, which featured Miller first and foremost, and also included these stats on one of the first pages: “6 months in the desert, 350 salvaged cars, 150 hand-built vehicles, 150 stunt performers, 1,700 total crew, 400 hours of footage, 3,500 storyboards.”

In other words, what’s a few months in the cold and snow? “The Revenant” might have been hard to make, Warner Bros. is almost saying, but “Mad Max” was a beast, too — and it was a beast that was created and tamed by a 70-year-old man.

SURPRISE: Tom Hardy, nominated Best Actor, “The Revenant”Leonardo DiCaprio has dominated conversations surrounding the grueling shoot and high art of "The Revenant," but Hardy suffered right alongside him -- and was rewarded with a Best Supporting Actor nomination.

Fox

SNUB: "Carol," not nominated Best PictureTodd Haynes' dreamy period piece fetched acting, score and cinematography nominations but was shut out of the Best Picture race.

SNUB: Ridley Scott, not nominated Best Director, "The Martian"The exclusion of Ridley Scott from the Best Director category is enough to make you want to move to Mars. While the longtime movie maestro claimed a Golden Globe award, he was left off of the 2016 list entirely, presumably bumped by surprise nominee Lenny Abrahamson.

SNUB: Idris Elba, not nominated Best Actor, “Beasts of No Nation” The excessively likable and highly pedigreed Elba could not earn a spot among the Best Actor crowd for “Beasts of No Nation” despite his edgy positioning with hot director Cary Fukunaga and streaming release platform Netflix.

Netflix

SURPRISE: Lenny Abrahamson, nominated Best Director, "Room"Sure, the director’s “Room” is an emotional marathon and, frankly, a technical feat for creating a universe within those tiny walls -- but it was surely a surprise to hear his name called for Best Director over Ridley Scott’s.

TheWrap

SNUB: “See You Again,” not nominated Best Original Song, "Furious 7"Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s “Furious 7” anthem served not only as a radio hit but also a tribute to the late Paul Walker. It was all but guaranteed that the creative eyebrows of Puth and NBA-level tattoos of Khalifa would suit up to claim a Best Original Song Oscar come February. Sorry boys, maybe we’ll see you again.

Universal

SNUB: Amy Schumer, not nominated Best Original Screenplay, "Trainwreck"America’s acidic sweetheart Schumer was a fledgling leading lady in Universal’s “Trainwreck,” but had a serious shot at Best Original Screenplay for her comedy with Bill Hader and Brie Larson.

Universal

SURPRISE: “Inside Out,” nominated Best Original ScreenplayAny Pixar film is a presumed nominee if not winner, but it was unexpected to see the Amy Poehler-fronted film nominated for Best Original Screenplay. We imagine all the writers attached are feeling only Joy.

Disney

SNUB: Johnny Depp, not nominated Best Actor, “Black Mass"Forget the Ed Harris makeup — Johnny Depp did an extraordinary job playing Whitey Bulger in Warner Bros. “Black Mass.” Many thought the A-lister would be among peers like Leonardo DiCaprio in the Best Actor category.

Warner Bros.

SURPRISE: Charlotte Rampling, nominated Best Actress, "45 Years"Charlotte Rampling was nominated for her role in "45 years" in the Best Actress category along with Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, Brie Larson and Saoirse Ronan. Rampling was a strong contender in October, but no one really talked about the film throughout the rest of award season. For example, she didn't receive a Golden Globe or SAG nomination.

Artificial Eye

SNUB: Will Smith, not nominated Best Actor, "Concussion"He delivered a spectacular performance as Dr. Bennet Omalu in "Concussion," but Will Smith didn't receive a nomination in the Best Actor category despite making everyone's radar following his Golden Globes nom.

Sony/Columbia

SURPRISE: "The 100-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared," nominated Achievement in Makeup and HairstylingFor the Danish film to be nominated at all came as a complete surprise because most hadn't even heard of this film. Released in May in only 76 theaters, it grossed $944,000 dollars. It took the place within the Makeup and Hairstyling category of films like "Cinderella," "The Danish Girl," "Ex Machina," "Black Mass" and "Star Wars," which all received Makeup Guild Awards nominations.

Music Box Films

SNUBS: "Peanuts"/"Minions"/"Good Dinosaur," not nominated Best Animated FeatureThose three films were left out of the nominations for Best Animated Feature, replaced by surprises "Boy and the World" and "When Marnie Was There." "Minions" is an especially surprising omission because it made $336 million domestically and broke several box office records for Universal at the time.

Universal/Fox/Pixar

SNUB: Aaron Sorkin, not nominated Best Screenplay, "Steve Jobs"Sorkin is known as one of the best living screenwriters, and his adaptation of Walter Isaacson's "Steve Jobs" was one of this year's most anticipated scripts. Sorkin also received praise for the unique structure he established for the film, receiving a Golden Globe award for Best Screenplay on Jan. 10.

Getty Images

SNUB: Todd Haynes, not nominated Best Director, "Carol"Many who saw the film "Carol," starring lead and supporting actress nominees Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, praised it for how artfully it was put together. That makes Haynes' absence in the Best Director field perplexing.

Getty Images

SNUB: Steven Spielberg, not nominated Best Director, "Bridge of Spies"Spielberg directed "Bridge of Spies," one of the most well-received films of the year, yet, the two-time Oscar winner was left out of the Best Director category by the Academy this year.

Getty Images

SNUB: Tom Hanks, not nominated Best Actor, "Bridge of Spies"The two-time Academy Award winner delivered another stellar performance in "Bridge of Spies," but didn't receive a Best Actor nomination for the film, despite its six total noms. The film's supporting actor, Mark Rylance, was nominated for an Oscar this year.

Disney

1 of 20

The Academy sprung some last-minute names — and shut out sure things from awards season

Steve Pond, awards editor at TheWrap, is also author of the L.A. Times bestseller The Big Show. He has been covering entertainment for more than two decades, and is the industry's most knowledgeable Academy Awards prognosticator.